Donations will go toward enhancing health care in our community.
Dr. Paul Kenneth Lewis, Jr. passed away suddenly at the young age of 66
on December 19th, 2017 at Boulder Community Health (BCH) in Boulder, Colorado.
He suffered a massive heart attack and succumbed in the ICU, despite heroic
efforts by his doctors, nurses and caregivers at BCH.
Paul was born on May 1st, 1951 in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Paul Kenneth Lewis
and Corinne Ruth Edwards. He graduated from President Obama’s high
school alma mater, Punahou Academy, in 1969. Growing up in Hawaii, Paul
became an avid surfer at a young age and continued to pursue the sport
for the rest of his life as he returned to the islands frequently. Later
in life he became an enthusiastic bone fisherman and could be seen wading
in Kaneohe Bay at low tide with his son and best friend, Reid.
Paul received both his undergraduate (1973) and medical degree (1977) at
the University of Vermont. Moving to Colorado, he did an emergency medicine
residency at Denver General Hospital, then worked at St. Anthony’s
Hospital North & Central as an Emergency Physician. There he met his
soul mate and the love of his life, Christine Marie Kraft. They have two
children together, Maile and Reid.
Paul's career was at Boulder Community Health. He planned to retire from
his position as BCH’s Chief Medical Officer at the end of the year.
He was within weeks of retirement and getting into his SPRINTER van and
driving off to the southern tip of Argentina. His gentle spirit, deep
compassion and wise leadership have been a part of BCH for 34 years, 25
years in the Emergency Department and 9 years in Administration. He embodied
all that the organization aspired to be, as caregiver, as friend and as
a loving family. He entered health care to make a meaningful difference.
If this is the measure of a life, the fullness of Paul’s life is
truly immeasurable.
Paul paired a playful nature with a disciplined work ethic, a poet’s
soul with an indomitable will. He was possessed of a venturesome spirit,
a keen and inquisitive mind, unbounded energy, a natural athleticism,
a spiritual connection to the environment, a love of animals, an unquenchable
passion for life, and a deep devotion to family. He could play classical
piano, design and construct a 200’ perimeter fence, build a soccer
field, create a stained glass lighted backgammon board, install a motorized
garage door opener, decorate the world’s greatest Christmas tree
and vacuum a carpet like nobody’s business. For 20 years Paul and
Chris trained and ran marathons together from Athens, Greece to Santiago,
Chile. As a family they ran the Chicago, Paris and Kenya marathons.
Paul was fearless. He propelled himself off 14,000 feet on skis, jumped
off towering cliffs in a hang-glider, surfed the oceans biggest sets,
and fished the farthest reaches of British Columbia all with a bold passion.
This, and everything else about him, will be missed by all.
In addition to Wife Chris, Daughter Maile (Matthew), Granddaughter Kaleesi
Little, Son Reid, and sweet Allie, their dog, Paul leaves behind his Mother
Corky Shulman, Sisters Kim Tomey and Kyle Pyuen, Brother Kevin (Lorrie)
Lewis, Brian, Jon and Bruce Lederer, Mother and Father-in-law Rose Kraft
and Jack Campbell, Brother-in-law Steven (Dorothy) Kraft, Sisters-in-law
Debbie Kraft, Karen (Donald) Busch and many Nieces, Nephews and adoring
and heartbroken friends.
It gives us great comfort to know that Paul was reunited with his beloved
best dog friend, Riley, who passed 3 weeks ago.
Lewie got more licks out of life’s lollipop than anyone we know.
